


You’re a Mean One Doctor McCoy

by mage_989



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-01 17:06:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2780978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mage_989/pseuds/mage_989
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas is approaching and McCoy is avoiding decorating, showing merriment of any kind, and doing anything with the crew in general. His friends don’t know why he suddenly seems to hate the holidays. Too bad none of them bothered to check the last away mission medical log.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You’re a Mean One Doctor McCoy

“Yes, Uhura, I know it’s almost Christmas, every sprig of mistletoe on this ship is a reminder of that. That doesn’t change the fact the captain is still in isolation until further notice. Therefore I’m not giving the card to him directly.”

“But, sir-“

“If you’re set on it get Spock to help you,” McCoy said tersely, and with that went into his quarters, ignoring the glares of the crewmembers as he past them.

As the door shut behind him McCoy let his arms drop from his chest. He resisted the urged to rub it as the muscles protested the loss of their support. He wondered, for what seemed like the millionth time, if he should get a brace. But he knew what the head nurse would say: “medical supplies are not to be used by medical personnel for personal use outside of an emergency.” God he missed Christine, and wanted to punch whatever higher up decided that an exchange program between ships was a good idea.

Going into the bathroom McCoy picked up one of the ice packs from his growing collection. It was all Nurse Freezenda’s fault that Jim was even in need of a card in the first place. She was very efficient and a stickler for rules, enforcing the one that said any person with a contagious disease was to be in isolation until the contagious period was over. It was a cold for god sakes!

Of course since it was a cold McCoy had banned himself from checking in on his best friend. He knew Spock had gone to visit him and that put Spock at risk of catching Jim’s cold, Vulcan physiology be damned. Of course since he was the Science Officer that put the science department at risk; and since the science department often worked in the medical labs McCoy found he was handing off even more of his work to his head nurse, and then sitting in his office with nothing to do. McCoy knew he should have at least stopped in and said hi to Jim once, but he couldn’t risk catching it.

The last thing his ribs needed were to be overworked trying to clear up an upper respiratory infection.

Going to his bed McCoy slowly got himself reclined in a somewhat comfortable position. He lifted up his uniform and undershirt, taking in the slowly healing pattern of black and blue. He yelped as the ice pack touched his skin. After a few minutes he adjusted to the cool temperature. McCoy took a few deep breathes to work the muscles a bit, and then tried to keep his body from moving. The Denebians really knew how to throw a kick. He was lucky none of the ribs had fractured. 23rd century and bruised ribs were still on the list of things that modern medicine couldn’t fix in an instant. And the crew wondered why he was stalking around the ship like their own personal Scrooge.

Of course he was cranky. He was tired, he was in constant pain, and he didn’t know why he even bothered filling out reports and making logs if no one was going to bother to take two minutes out of their busy days to read or listen to them!

McCoy scowled. He knew he shouldn’t be feeling sorry for himself, but it hurt that not one person had asked him if he was all right. That not one of the people he thought of as friends had bothered to check if he had been hurt on the away mission, even Jim had been down there and knew about the altercation that had taken place; yet he had said nothing.

Everyone apparently had more important things to do; more important people to be with.

Well who wouldn’t? McCoy thought as he recalled his recent words to Uhura. It wasn’t that he meant to be so harsh with them. Honestly, he enjoyed the holidays, and he had hoped that he would heal by Christmas, but that obviously wasn’t going to happen. At his rate of recovery he was looking at, at least another week before he would be well again. Happy New Year to him.

***

Jim Kirk had practically shouted with joy when he was finally released from sickbay. Another minute in there and he would have punched a hole in one of the walls. He rushed down to the main rec room to find the annual Christmas party already in full swing. He passed by huddled groups of red, yellow, and blue, nodding and thanking everyone that told him how glad they were that he was feeling better. As made his way around though Jim noticed that a certain country doctor was missing.

“Where’s Doctor McCoy?” Jim asked Spock, as he came up to the Vulcan, who was currently leaning against the back wall of the room, and ignoring most of the emotional displays going on around him.

“Probably up on Mount Crumpit, plotting with the Grinch to steal Christmas from all the happy Whos in Whoville,” Scotty answered, coming up to them with a tall glass of eggnog in his hand.

Jim raised his eyebrows, shocked at Scotty’s tone. “Excuse me, Scotty?”

“Sorry, Captain, but it’s the truth. You’ve been in quarantine so ya wouldn’t know, but Doctor McCoy has been a right pain in the ass.”

“Scotty’s right, Captain, even if he did phrase it crudely,” Uhura chimed in. “He practically bit my head off about wanting to give you a simple card.”

“Yes,” Chekov agreed, joining in on the conversation. “Apparently we have all offended him somehow. He did not want to help with any preparations for the holidays; and he won’t even eat in the mess anymore. I’ve seen him come in, take his tray, and leave every day for the last three weeks.”

“He did the same thing today,” Sulu said. “He came in earlier and took some of the cookies at the buffet, and then left without a word to anyone.”

“Has there been any news from his family?” Spock asked, wondering if he had received word of a personal problem. Spock had not seen much of the doctor recently and had assumed he was busy with holiday preparations; obviously that was not the case.

“Nothing I’m aware of. In fact I think he’s supposed to be talking with Joanna today, maybe he still is,” Jim answered, frowning. He hadn’t realized the issues with Bones had gotten so bad.

Jim would give Bones time with his daughter, but then he was going to his friend’s quarters, determined to figure out why his CMO had turned into such a Grinch. Not coming to see him was one thing, but acting like that to everyone was bad for crew morale.

Meanwhile McCoy was in waiting in anticipation by his computer for the visual link to connect. This was his one bright spot in nearly a month of misery.

The screen sharpened into an image at last. Revealing a young woman with blue eyes that mirrored his own.

“Hi, Jo.”

“Hi, Dad.”

“Let me look at you.”

She brushed hair in front of her shoulders, so he could see that she was growing it long again. McCoy noticed that she was in her uniform too. He smiled. She had always looked good in blue.

“Did you bring them?” she asked.

“Of course,” he said, holding up his small bag of shortbread cookies. “Your old man would never forget our tradition.”

They weren’t homemade, and they weren’t covered in gobs of red and green icing like they were when Joanna had been little, but they still tasted good. Even though they were separated by hundreds of light years McCoy felt like she was right next to him as the ate the sweet treats.

That joy was abruptly broken when McCoy winced as he shifted slightly in his chair, and Joanna frowned at the action.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

McCoy nodded. “I’m fine, Sweetheart, it’s just a few bruised ribs.”

Joanna blinked and started looking at him with a professional eye.

“You’ve been keeping ice on them?”

McCoy picked up the white pack off his desk and held it up.

“Yes, Nurse McCoy, every two hours like clockwork.”

His daughter smiled, glad that he was okay, and that he had remembered that she had just completed her nursing requirements.

“Good. I want you to be healthy when I see you next month.”

McCoy quirked his eyebrows up, curious. “Next month?”

Joanna’s smiled widened. “I was going to let it be a surprise, but since you obviously need some Christmas cheer I’ll let you know now that the exchange is ending early. Christine sponsored me to come back to the Enterprise with her.”

“That’s wonderful, Jo! And not a moment too soon, I’m telling you Nurse Freezenda really lives up to her name. That woman is a human ice cube.”

Joanna laughed. “I know, but Captain Horatio needs her for his next assignment. So we have to switch everyone back.”

“I’ll pack her bags for her.”

There was a beep and Joanna looked over at her chronometer.

“Looks like I’ve got to go. It was great to see you, Dad.”

“You too. Merry Christmas, Joanna, and I love you, Sweetheart.”

“I love you too, Dad, take care of yourself. Merry Christmas, and I’ll see you in two weeks.”

The screen went black and McCoy sighed as the one bit of happiness in his life went away. He looked up at his own chronometer. He only needed a half an hour with the ice. Fifteen on, fifteen off, he was hearing that stupid mantra in his dreams. But maybe he could still get to the Christmas party after that.

McCoy didn’t have any more time to think about it as the door suddenly opened and Captain Kirk stepped inside the cabin.

“Jim, what brings you here?”

“I came to see why you weren’t at the Christmas party.”

“I just finished talking to Joanna.”

“Then you can come with me now.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No, not yet I need to-”

“Doctor McCoy, I’ve been hearing numerous complaints about your behaviour recently and I would like to see that rectified immediately. ”

McCoy couldn’t think of a response.

What happened next was a complete accident. Jim came over to get a proper answer. McCoy didn’t turn his chair towards his captain. Annoyed at his behaviour Jim jerked the chair a bit harder than he meant too. Out of habit McCoy wrapped his arms around his chest for protection; and that threw off balance just enough to topple him out of the chair.

McCoy screamed as he hit the floor.

“Bones!”

In an instant Jim was kneeling on the floor beside him.

“Bones, what’s wrong?”

McCoy barked out a laugh at how stupid their conversation was about to become.

“My bones, Jim, bruised ribs.” He hissed in pain as he tried to pull himself into a sitting position. “Dammit to hell that hurts!”

Jim helped him off the floor as McCoy tried to control his breathing.

“Help me to the bed, Jim?”

“Of course.”

“And bring that ice pack with you, I’m overdue.”

Jim picked up the pack and got McCoy on his bed. McCoy pulled up his shirt, and Jim gasped at the fading bruises that covered his side.

“Right there,” McCoy said.

Jim put the pack where he was told; and McCoy grunted in satisfaction as the cold quickly numbed the pain.

“Thanks.”

Jim looked at his friend, his face was strained, and his eyes were tired.

“I’m so, so sorry, Bones.”

“It’s all right you didn’t know. Don’t know why I make log entries if no one is going to check them.”

Jim wilted in shame. Thinking about all the surly behaviour that the crew had complained about that now made perfect sense. Of course he couldn’t help with any activities that required excessive movement. Of course he wouldn’t be very cheerful, and he would have spent more time in his quarters to help his recovery; thus away from everyone. Jim wasn’t sure why he would eat in here though.

“Is that why you’ve been eating here?” he asked.

McCoy nodded. “Easier to keep a schedule for the ice; I wanted to use it as much as possible. It helps take the edge off.”

“No painkillers?”

McCoy shook his head. “I over did it with the strong stuff the first week; when we were finishing up inventory. I can’t take anything else right now, it’s too risky.”

That just made a new wave of shame hit Jim. He had only had a cold and had still found things to complain about. He had also received well wishes and Spock had stopped by often; and meanwhile his best friend had been miserable, and in pain, and facing it all alone.

Jim watched as McCoy rubbed his arm where it had hit the floor.

“Is your shoulder okay? Should I call sickbay?”

McCoy’s eyes went wide.

“No! No, I’d rather have it fall off from gangrene!”

Jim chuckled. “So, it’s not just me Freezenda hates then?”

“She’s a good nurse, Jim, but she has the bed side manner of a cantankerous Andorian.”

“Sure makes you miss Nurse Chapel doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, permission to kiss her senseless when she returns, Captain?”

Jim caught the blush on his friend’s cheeks, and got the feeling his wasn’t really kidding.

“Granted,” he said, as he got and went to this desk and opened a channel; inspiration striking him. “Kirk to Spock.”

“Spock here.”

“Spock, come to McCoy’s quarters, and bring some of the others with you.”

“Is there a problem, Jim?”

“No, just a change of venue.”

Jim cut the communication and went back to his friend.

“Jim, you don’t have to wreck everyone’s Christmas for me.”

“This is supposed to be a time for good will towards men, and all of us have some making up to do to you.”

McCoy relaxed against the pillows, and let himself smile.

“Thanks, Jim.”

“You’re welcome, and Merry Christmas, Bones.”

The End


End file.
